FIA finds Meesha guilty of ‘vilification’ drive against Ali Zafar [Post#202]

[saeedhk]

If true this tells you everything you need to know about the mindset. Out depraved, backwards, sexist society will never stop victim blaming and harassing her though

It is on video. Mubashir Luqman invited him to his show and AZ made these remarks, drawing laughter from Mubashir and AZ.

Be it domestic violence, child sexual abuse, acid attacks or honor killings, Pakistanis always blame it on the victim (woman).

Still remember how Orya Maqbool blamed Zainab for her own murder and rape.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

It is on video. Mubashir Luqman invited him to his show and AZ made these remarks, drawing laughter from Mubashir and AZ.

Be it domestic violence, child sexual abuse, acid attacks or honor killings, Pakistanis always blame it on the victim (woman).

Still remember how Orya Maqbool blamed Zainab for her own murder and rape.

My blood boils when i listen to Orya. Did he say that too? Another new low.

 

[saeedhk]

Meesha wants to be Malala - Meera

What a shameful statement!!

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Meesha wants to be Malala - Meera

What a shameful statement!!

These braindead, pieces of human trash celebrities are just indicative of our society as a whole. That’s the harsh truth

 

[Savak]

And where has she said she is walking away midway,may i ask?

In an interview when asked why was she not taking the case seriously and not coming to court, she responded along those lines about wanting to move on.

 

[Green Patriot]

In an interview when asked why was she not taking the case seriously and not coming to court, she responded along those lines about wanting to move on.

The only interview Meesha formally appeared in since the whole issue started in Dec 2017 was on Monday with Shahzeb Khanzada and nowhere did she say that she is done with the case and wants to move on.On the contrary she said,when asked about the court and case hearings that i am not subject to visit unless the court personally summons me and when they do I will visit and the statement issued by her legal team clearly said that Meesha is now all the more determined to procure her rights from the law no matter what Ali Zafar throws at her.
Absolutely no where has she said she is moving on or backing out midway so please dont spread false rumors.

 

[uberkoen]

Meesha has been exposed.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Only in our society can Ali Zafar give an interview like that and still be supported by people. Absolutely sick

 

[Savak]

And where has she said she is walking away midway,may i ask?

The only interview Meesha formally appeared in since the whole issue started in Dec 2017 was on Monday with Shahzeb Khanzada and nowhere did she say that she is done with the case and wants to move on.On the contrary she said,when asked about the court and case hearings that i am not subject to visit unless the court personally summons me and when they do I will visit and the statement issued by her legal team clearly said that Meesha is now all the more determined to procure her rights from the law no matter what Ali Zafar throws at her.
Absolutely no where has she said she is moving on or backing out midway so please dont spread false rumors.

This is what AZ and his team is saying that the courts have summoned her and her team 8 times but each time they have excused themselves using delaying tactics

Besides I have heard from different anecdotes about MS being deep down a rude obnoxious woman and she was used derogatory words against fellow women and even accused some of sleeping around to advance their careers. Excuse me for refusing to have sympathy for such a woman. Out of the 11 witnesses including 2-3 women present at the jamming session none have come forward to support her story.

Given where things stand I dont think she will get a favorable verdict in court

 

[Green Patriot]

This is what AZ and his team is saying that the courts have summoned her and her team 8 times but each time they have excused themselves using delaying tactics

Besides I have heard from different anecdotes about MS being deep down a rude obnoxious woman and she was used derogatory words against fellow women and even accused some of sleeping around to advance their careers. Excuse me for refusing to have sympathy for such a woman. Out of the 11 witnesses including 2-3 women present at the jamming session none have come forward to support her story.

Given where things stand I dont think she will get a favorable verdict in court

Initially you said Meesha herself said in an interview that she wished to move on and give up the case midway and now you are saying it is AZ and his legal team who are claiming that.

And you choose to believe the anecdotes about Meesha Shafi's character and personality,circulating social media but disregard the other women who came forward with accounts of Ali Zafar's harrasment.
You choose to support a man who says k jab mainai bollywood ki aik say aik haseen actress ko harrass nai kya to mujhy meesha jaisi hi mili thi whereupon he sits and laughs with the male anchor clearly taking a jibe at Meesha's appearance.

And how do you provide proof of harrasment.If i go out on the subway and a man touches me inappropriately how do i provide proof for that unless i have cameras attached to my body.The 11 people were not present all the time with Meesha and Ali.This is not the sort of thing that happens openly all the time.But males coming from a place of privilege can not be expected to sympathize let alone empathize.

And yes the court might not rule in her favor but that might also have to do with the fact that this is a predominantly patriarchal society and that proofs for such a matter are hard to be produced on demand.

 

[MenInG]

Lahore's district court has directed Facebook and Instagram to release details of 'fake accounts' allegedly involved in defaming musician Ali Zafar.

In TV appearances last week, Ali Zafar claimed that after singer Meesha Shafi accused him of sexual harassment in April 2018, she launched a smear campaign on social media against him.

He said that 'fake accounts' are posting lies about him and that he will request FIA's cyberbullying unit to investigate the matter.

According to a court order (a copy of which is available with Images), the FIA's Cyber Crime Circle in Lahore has completed initial inquiry into the matter and have named Instagram accounts sanasamir91, sallzjay22 and deeenz82 as committing offenses punishable under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 by "uploading [Ali Zafar's] personal pictures with obnoxious/defamatory content to damage his repute in family and society."

The Lahore district court has therefore asked Facebook to provide the basic subscriber data associated with the accounts, along with their IP logs.

https://images.dawn.com/news/118261...of-fake-accounts-allegedly-defaming-ali-zafar

 

[Savak]

Initially you said Meesha herself said in an interview that she wished to move on and give up the case midway and now you are saying it is AZ and his legal team who are claiming that.

And you choose to believe the anecdotes about Meesha Shafi's character and personality,circulating social media but disregard the other women who came forward with accounts of Ali Zafar's harrasment.
You choose to support a man who says k jab mainai bollywood ki aik say aik haseen actress ko harrass nai kya to mujhy meesha jaisi hi mili thi whereupon he sits and laughs with the male anchor clearly taking a jibe at Meesha's appearance.

And how do you provide proof of harrasment.If i go out on the subway and a man touches me inappropriately how do i provide proof for that unless i have cameras attached to my body.The 11 people were not present all the time with Meesha and Ali.This is not the sort of thing that happens openly all the time.But males coming from a place of privilege can not be expected to sympathize let alone empathize.

And yes the court might not rule in her favor but that might also have to do with the fact that this is a predominantly patriarchal society and that proofs for such a matter are hard to be produced on demand.

Let me ask you this question, how would you feel if a girl made this sort of accusation against your brother or even your father hypothetically speaking. Will you be equally sympathetic to the girl and be understanding of the fact that it is not possible to provide proof of this activity? Just as there are women who have been harassed and i agree that there are a lot of cases, there are some women who use the women card to defame a guy's life.

I myself know of a case where a guy and a girl were dating in Canada, Toronto in my University, the guy broke up with the girl and she filed a police complaint against him accussing him of rape and somehow the matter went to court and he has had to endure a lot of mental distress, agony, financial ruin, he may eventually get exonerated but who is going to compensate him for this.

I know of an ex colleague my dad worked with who was known to be a tough boss but he had to transferred after one hijab wearing local Canadian girl accussed him of sexual harassment, there was an inquiry, no evidence, nothing was found and none of his colleagues mentioned experiencing any sort of discomfort or problems working with him, but still the stain, stigma was such that he was transferred to another country and now the stain, stigma of this episode will remain with him for the rest of his life.

Hamza Abbassi mentioned a fair point as well about some women who encourage flirting, accept advances and then cry sexual harassment to settle scores and some women are capable of this.

Anyways, my point is not to jump to conclusions without facts and proofs.

 

[Green Patriot]

Let me ask you this question, how would you feel if a girl made this sort of accusation against your brother or even your father hypothetically speaking. Will you be equally sympathetic to the girl and be understanding of the fact that it is not possible to provide proof of this activity? Just as there are women who have been harassed and i agree that there are a lot of cases, there are some women who use the women card to defame a guy's life.

I myself know of a case where a guy and a girl were dating in Canada, Toronto in my University, the guy broke up with the girl and she filed a police complaint against him accussing him of rape and somehow the matter went to court and he has had to endure a lot of mental distress, agony, financial ruin, he may eventually get exonerated but who is going to compensate him for this.

I know of an ex colleague my dad worked with who was known to be a tough boss but he had to transferred after one hijab wearing local Canadian girl accussed him of sexual harassment, there was an inquiry, no evidence, nothing was found and none of his colleagues mentioned experiencing any sort of discomfort or problems working with him, but still the stain, stigma was such that he was transferred to another country and now the stain, stigma of this episode will remain with him for the rest of his life.

Hamza Abbassi mentioned a fair point as well about some women who encourage flirting, accept advances and then cry sexual harassment to settle scores and some women are capable of this.

Anyways, my point is not to jump to conclusions without facts and proofs.

If several different women accuse my brother of harrassing them it will most definitely make me rethink and question him.

And i see that you worry about the stain and stigma that a guy had to go through after he was accused but eventually found clear of anyways but you do not see literally thousands of women who go through this everyday and can not speak up for fear of society and how it dissects every shred of their character.
I can also come up with several such cases where women i know who have to endure men groping and touching and looking at them in every vile manner every day of their life but they can not speak up and one such was a hijabi friend who had no inviting glances or gestures and had to work for her family but this can go on and on.For every one man who gets accused wrongly there are a 100 women who suffer in silence and while the former is wrong the latter deserves every empathy as well.
And if Ali zafar must be suffering you must see how the public comments on Meesha.I have literally seen comments on social media calling her a wh*re/sl*t/pig faced b*tch who wouldnt be touched by any respectable man and she does not deserve any of that either especially when she is the apparent victim.

And lets not even talk about Hamza Ali.The guy is a proven hypocrite who preaches men and women to maintain their distance as Islam requires of them and then goes on his merry way in a manner that makes a Muslim go 'La hawla'.

If it was only Meesha that was another thing but there are other women who have come forward too not to mention the guy has the guts to make derogatory comments on her appearance,not to forget his tweets on earlier occurences full of misogyny and sexism,the likes of which are not easy to forgive and forget.So while he can not be legally accused yet and that may never happen anyways,my point is also that we do not accuse Meesha of backing down and being spineless and basically a drama queen who wants to back down and move on when that has not happened yet.And if there is a drama queen it is the guy who comes on national TV and sobs like anything while pointing out how he had the opportunity to harrass beautiful women of Bollywood and he would choose someone who looked like Meesha.No respectable man would encourage behaviour like that.

 

[Savak]

If several different women accuse my brother of harrassing them it will most definitely make me rethink and question him.

And i see that you worry about the stain and stigma that a guy had to go through after he was accused but eventually found clear of anyways but you do not see literally thousands of women who go through this everyday and can not speak up for fear of society and how it dissects every shred of their character.
I can also come up with several such cases where women i know who have to endure men groping and touching and looking at them in every vile manner every day of their life but they can not speak up and one such was a hijabi friend who had no inviting glances or gestures and had to work for her family but this can go on and on.For every one man who gets accused wrongly there are a 100 women who suffer in silence and while the former is wrong the latter deserves every empathy as well.
And if Ali zafar must be suffering you must see how the public comments on Meesha.I have literally seen comments on social media calling her a wh*re/sl*t/pig faced b*tch who wouldnt be touched by any respectable man and she does not deserve any of that either especially when she is the apparent victim.

And lets not even talk about Hamza Ali.The guy is a proven hypocrite who preaches men and women to maintain their distance as Islam requires of them and then goes on his merry way in a manner that makes a Muslim go 'La hawla'.

If it was only Meesha that was another thing but there are other women who have come forward too not to mention the guy has the guts to make derogatory comments on her appearance,not to forget his tweets on earlier occurences full of misogyny and sexism,the likes of which are not easy to forgive and forget.So while he can not be legally accused yet and that may never happen anyways,my point is also that we do not accuse Meesha of backing down and being spineless and basically a drama queen who wants to back down and move on when that has not happened yet.And if there is a drama queen it is the guy who comes on national TV and sobs like anything while pointing out how he had the opportunity to harrass beautiful women of Bollywood and he would choose someone who looked like Meesha.No respectable man would encourage behaviour like that.

I would say this guy has presented the most balanced viewpoint on the topic without blindly taking either side

 

[Green Patriot]

I would say this guy has presented the most balanced viewpoint on the topic without blindly taking either side

This guy is evidently taking Ali Zafar's side and this video is basically focusing on women who accuse men falsely and how they are destroying their lives.

Nowhere does it aim to provide a neutral perspective anywhere and if this truly seems like a balanced video to you which provides a rational viewpoint for both genders alike,well, than i have nothing more to say to you.

 

[Savak]

This guy is evidently taking Ali Zafar's side and this video is basically focusing on women who accuse men falsely and how they are destroying their lives.

Nowhere does it aim to provide a neutral perspective anywhere and if this truly seems like a balanced video to you which provides a rational viewpoint for both genders alike,well, than i have nothing more to say to you.

I think he is being pretty neutral by saying both evils exist. He may have his reasons to take Ali Zafars side. Even Waqar Zaka is taking Ali Zafars side.

Meesha Shafi is resorting to cheap tactics by insulting female celebrities who chose to stay neutral on the issue. I wouldn't put it beyond her to create the fake social media accounts making random allegations against AZ and pressuring women to make statements against AZ. I see signs that she is capable of vengeance already

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Initially you said Meesha herself said in an interview that she wished to move on and give up the case midway and now you are saying it is AZ and his legal team who are claiming that.

And you choose to believe the anecdotes about Meesha Shafi's character and personality,circulating social media but disregard the other women who came forward with accounts of Ali Zafar's harrasment.
You choose to support a man who says k jab mainai bollywood ki aik say aik haseen actress ko harrass nai kya to mujhy meesha jaisi hi mili thi whereupon he sits and laughs with the male anchor clearly taking a jibe at Meesha's appearance.

And how do you provide proof of harrasment.If i go out on the subway and a man touches me inappropriately how do i provide proof for that unless i have cameras attached to my body.The 11 people were not present all the time with Meesha and Ali.This is not the sort of thing that happens openly all the time.But males coming from a place of privilege can not be expected to sympathize let alone empathize.

And yes the court might not rule in her favor but that might also have to do with the fact that this is a predominantly patriarchal society and that proofs for such a matter are hard to be produced on demand.

Great post

 

[Madplayer]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I support Ali Zafar till he is found guilty. I wanted Meesha to provide proof to incriminate Ali. And I wanted Ali to sue her if she didnt have any proof.

However, i realized that i was just being a tool and there is a very little chance that a woman would have proof for something like this. I have hence taken a neutral stand on this issue so far purely because i cant come up with a solution here. I dont know who to trust. On one hand i put my own female relatives in place of meesha and think how they would feel if they were Victims. On the other hand i put myself in place of Ali and think how i would feel if i were innocent and accused of something like this.

Overall, i have no idea how to deal with this situation effectively. There is only one solution in my mind and that is segregation of sexes in public meetings and events. There, i said it. It is the only way to reduce such cases. Kill me for suggesting something like this but this is indeed the only way. Couple it with installing cctv cameras at such places and you can rest assured that such cases of molestation would be reduced. I am not a moulvi kind of a person and am pretty chill generally. But if you want a solution, this is what will work.

If you have a better idea then please share. And please dont say "men should control themselves" because that will never happen. It hasnt happened since the dawn of civilization and it wont happen now. There will always be criminal minded people in the society. Dont put women at risk because of some utopian revolutionary ideas in your mind.

 

[Green Patriot]

I think he is being pretty neutral by saying both evils exist. He may have his reasons to take Ali Zafars side. Even Waqar Zaka is taking Ali Zafars side.

Meesha Shafi is resorting to cheap tactics by insulting female celebrities who chose to stay neutral on the issue. I wouldn't put it beyond her to create the fake social media accounts making random allegations against AZ and pressuring women to make statements against AZ. I see signs that she is capable of vengeance already

Pray tell me in what world is Waqar Zaka a man of sense and rationale who supports the idea of safe spaces for women and is vocal about it so that his perspective can be the pinnacle of judgement.

Also,Meesha Shafi is insulting neutral female celebrities?That is indeed news to me.Is this insult in the same interview where she also backed down from the case with the aim to move on?

 

[Abdullah719]

SC will decide how witness statements are recorded in Ali Zafar, Meesha Shafi case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) began hearing Meesha Shafi’s petition pertaining to the defamation case filed by Ali Zafar.

In her petition, Shafi’s legal team notes that it is a basic right to cross-examine witnesses presented in the court and that the apex court should grant the right, thereby, declaring the Lahore High Court's (LHC) decision null and void.

During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the court would decide when the statements of witnesses would be recorded. The remark was made after Justice Ahsan questioned Meesha Shafi’s lawyer over wanting to record all witness statements at the same time and then cross-questioning them together.

Justice Ahsan informed Meesha Shafi’s lawyer that statements could not be recorded according to his wishes, with the judge adding that the lawyer was being biased.

Justice Ahsan remarked that the court wanted to make it clear what took place in the jamming session.

He also asked Meesha Shafi’s lawyer how many years had he been practising law, to which the response was 11 years. The judge then asked that in the 11 years of experience had Meesha Shafi’s lawyer every seen all witness statements being recorded first and then cross-questioning taking place. Justice Ahsan added that in his 30 years of experience, there was no precedent for this.

The lawyer responded that he could provide several views from court decisions and in several decisions, this was mentioned by courts. Justice Ahsan responded that court decisions were not heavenly scriptures and they could be wrong.

The lawyer for Ali Zafar informed the court that till now only one out of 11 witnesses had recorded their statement.

The hearing of the case was adjourned for next week.

Meesha Shafi had accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment in April 2018. In response to the allegation, Zafar had filed a defamation suit against Meesha Shafi.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/236815-sc...s-are-recorded-in-ali-zafar-meesha-shafi-case

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Initially you said Meesha herself said in an interview that she wished to move on and give up the case midway and now you are saying it is AZ and his legal team who are claiming that.

And you choose to believe the anecdotes about Meesha Shafi's character and personality,circulating social media but disregard the other women who came forward with accounts of Ali Zafar's harrasment.
You choose to support a man who says k jab mainai bollywood ki aik say aik haseen actress ko harrass nai kya to mujhy meesha jaisi hi mili thi whereupon he sits and laughs with the male anchor clearly taking a jibe at Meesha's appearance.

And how do you provide proof of harrasment.If i go out on the subway and a man touches me inappropriately how do i provide proof for that unless i have cameras attached to my body.The 11 people were not present all the time with Meesha and Ali.This is not the sort of thing that happens openly all the time.But males coming from a place of privilege can not be expected to sympathize let alone empathize.

And yes the court might not rule in her favor but that might also have to do with the fact that this is a predominantly patriarchal society and that proofs for such a matter are hard to be produced on demand.

If you were molested/harassed at a jamming session, would you in your right mind continue to perform and "thoroughly" enjoy the rest of the show. Not only that, would you leave a note of appreciation and thankfulness on the organiser's WhatsApp grp for that session.

Go and cry about this no-proof philosophy to naive feminists.

In Shahzeb Khanzadas show the answer by Meesha to almost every other question was "I'll have to check it" "I'm not entirely sure" "I'm not sure about the timeline". If she was so determined to support the #MeToo movement and expose certain individuals then why didn't she remember important details of her own incident. Either it never happened or she's genuinely dumb. Personally it is a no-brainer.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Nowwhere is the word feminist used in a derogatory way more than in Pakistan. This is why our country and society is in the dumps. We deserve it

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Nowwhere is the word feminist used in a derogatory way more than in Pakistan. This is why our country and society is in the dumps. We deserve it

I think the aurat march was a very nasty reminder of the wicked, disturbing and pathetic mindset of feminists in Pakistan. This is why feminism is used in a derogatory way in Pakistan.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

I think the aurat march was a very nasty reminder of the wicked, disturbing and pathetic mindset of feminists in Pakistan. This is why feminism is used in a derogatory way in Pakistan.

Have you considered the fact that extreme oppression and mistreatment results in an extreme reaction?

 

[Green Patriot]

If you were molested/harassed at a jamming session, would you in your right mind continue to perform and "thoroughly" enjoy the rest of the show. Not only that, would you leave a note of appreciation and thankfulness on the organiser's WhatsApp grp for that session.

Go and cry about this no-proof philosophy to naive feminists.

In Shahzeb Khanzadas show the answer by Meesha to almost every other question was "I'll have to check it" "I'm not entirely sure" "I'm not sure about the timeline". If she was so determined to support the #MeToo movement and expose certain individuals then why didn't she remember important details of her own incident. Either it never happened or she's genuinely dumb. Personally it is a no-brainer.

First of,no i will not go and cry about my perceptions elsewhere.This is a public forum with a diversity of thought processes and philosophies so dont get your knickers in a twist and deal with it.
Secondly it is based upon rationale and there is nothing naive about it.

As far as Meesha's case is concerned she herself was questioned about this and clarified about her need to end her contract on cordial terms with the organization and members involved and she also stated she had no desire to vocalize this matter but was forced to as a last option after being forced to work with him again on an intensive domain.
As for Meesha saying 'I am not sure' after every alternate question is a big fat lie.I have watched her interview and in a span of 40-45 minutes she only perhaps said that she can check but that was only on the demand of a proof in soft copy related to any messages and certainly not the most significant details of her case which is not something that proves that she was not harrassed and is a liar.

Anyways my point stands.There can be several other victims publicly vocalizing their experiences ,the man can be taking jibes on the victims personal appearances in public and there can be countless other evidences which prove his misogyny but he will still be given the benefit of the doubt whereas the woman will be labelled a liar and drama queen who btw doesnt even have the face to be harrassed, on the most trivial of the matters.So while you may not accept the fact that AZ actually harrassed MS and you are free to do that ,you must also not be quick to judge MS and label her as the perjury for she also deserves to be judged by the same lens with the same benefit of doubts which are so liberally provided to her male couterpart.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Nowwhere is the word feminist used in a derogatory way more than in Pakistan. This is why our country and society is in the dumps. We deserve it

Nowhere

 

[shaz619]

Nowhere

Negatives should certainly be addressed but focus on the positives to, it's not a good look to see a lack of unity amongst Pakistani's regardless; you look at the Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities and they generally stick together barring a minority but on the whole I see too much criticism and self hatred when it comes to specific asian groups.

Regarding the case, I haven't looked too much into it but I imagine it must be really hard to prove various accusations. But I do feel as if those from the west and affluent backgrounds / status especially are an insult to female oppression when you compare their woes to the ones in south asia for example, there's always someone waiting to kick up a storm out of nothing and a company just waiting to profit from it with some merchandise.

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: Singer Kinza Muneer in her testimony before the court said that Ali Zafar didn’t sexually harass Meesha Shafi and both singers were “standing four to five feet apart from each other” during the jam session.

Appearing as Zafar’s witness in the defamation case, the singer said that she was present along with 10 other people during the jam session which lasted for 45 minutes.

Meesha hugged Zafar when she arrived and before leaving his residence, and is clearly lying about being sexually harassed, the witness said.

Before Kinza’s testimony, Meesha’s defense team requested the sessions court to adjourn the hearing until the Supreme Court issue a ruling on a petition filed by their client.

Zafar had filed the defamation suit last year against Shafi, who had accused him of sexual harassment. Filed under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, the suit claimed damages worth Rs1 billion.

In the notice, he had stated that Shafi had damaged his reputation through false allegations of sexual harassment.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/237055-ali-zafars-witness-rejects-meeshas-allegations-calls-her-liar

 

[MenInG]

SLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday allowed Meesha Shafi’s legal team to cross-examine witnesses presented by Ali Zafar in the court in one go, setting aside an earlier order by the Lahore High Court in the high-profile defamation case.

A two-member bench of the apex court led by Justice Mushir Alam heard the petition by Shafi against the LHC order in the defamation case filed by Zafar, after the singer accused him of sexual harassment last year prompting a key debate on the #MeToo movement in the country.

Setting aside the LHC order during today’s hearing, the Supreme Court directed Zafar’s counsel to submit affidavits of the remaining witnesses within seven days, whereafter Shafi’s counsel will be allowed to cross-examine the nine witnesses at the same time.

In case Zafar is unable to do so, the same will be done on the next day, the court observed.

In her petition, Shafi’s legal team had argued that it was a basic right to cross-examine witnesses presented in the court and that the apex court should grant them the right, thereby declaring the LHC decision null and void.

Shafi’s counsel Nighat Dad had told Geo.tv that her client “wants a fair and reasonable opportunity to cross-examine, context and challenge Ali Zafar’s evidence and witnesses, which was denied by the trial court and high court.”

That is why she had petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene and direct the trial court to allow the singer all procedural rights and remedies which she was entitled to, Dad had said.

The petition, first submitted on April 12 against the LHC, had been rejected by the trial court and then the LHC. According to the lawyer, the trial court had not permitted delaying cross-examination of witnesses.

Ali Zafar’s witness rejects Meesha’s allegations, calls her liar

Shafi had “challenged the trial court’s decision to allow Ali Zafar to produce his witnesses in a certain manner and directing her lawyers to cross-examine them immediately after the witnesses record their statement thereby denying Meesha’s lawyers a reasonable opportunity to cross-examine them properly”.

Zafar had filed the defamation suit last year against Shafi, who had accused him of sexual harassment. Filed under the Defamation Ordinance 2002, the suit claimed damages worth Rs1 billion.

In the notice, he had stated that Shafi had damaged his reputation through false allegations of sexual harassment.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/237244-sc...n-at-same-time-in-meesha-shafi-ali-zafar-case

 

[Savak]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1498850

Waiting for the femi nazis and white knights to defend Meesha blindly now

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to stop harassing witnesses in the sexual harassment case filed against Ali Zafar by singer Meesha Shafi, as well as other survivors, according to an official document available with Geo.tv.

The LHC further advised the FIA officials to submit a response in this regard, following the petition filed by Leena Ghani, a make-up artist who is a survivor and, according to the document, one of the witnesses in the harassment case against Ali Zafar as well.

The legal counsel for Leena, the petitioner, further informed the court that the FIA official was "abusing his authority by summoning her to his office to coerce her to withdraw her name from the list of witnesses submitted by Meesha Shafi in the proceeding between" the two singers.

Also read: The ugly backlash after Meesha Shafi spoke out

In the petition, Leena's counsel also noted that Ali Zafar "is harassing the petitioner in league with Respondents No. 1 and 2 [the FIA and its officials] without rhyme and reason".

The LHC, on the other hand, directed that the FIA official "shall not harass the petitioner". Further proceedings have been scheduled for September 26, 2019.

The arguments in harassment case that Meesha filed against Zafar are slated to start tomorrow (Wednesday).

Back in April 2018, Leena had thanked Meesha for her bravery for speaking up and shared her #MeToo story.She had said: "Seeing Meesha’s courage it’s impossible for me to not speak now, not only in support of her but also to say she’s not alone.”

She had added: “In the many years I have known Ali [Zafar], he has on several occasions crossed boundaries of what is appropriate behaviour between friends. … His behaviour displays a clear lack of respect for women. Inappropriate contact, groping, sexual comments should not fall in the grey area between humour and indecency.

Leena had continued: "Today I speak out because of recent events between Meesha and Ali and today I have to find the courage to say she isn't and has not been alone.

"The memories of the times when Ali thought he could get away by saying vulgar things still disgust me,” she had written.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/247841-la...to-stop-harassing-survivors-meeshas-witnesses

 

[MenInG]

Musician Meesha Shafi has filed a Rs2 billion damages suit in a Lahore sessions court against fellow artist Ali Zafar for making false allegations against her on media, it emerged on Wednesday.

The damages suit includes Rs1bn for the loss of goodwill and reputation caused, and Rs1bn for "mental torture and agony".

In addition to the damages requested, Shafi asked the court to pass a decree to declare Zafar's statements regarding her as "false, malicious and defamatory" and "made to injure the reputation of the plaintiff".

"It is prayed that the defendant (Zafar) be permanently restrained from making any further defamatory statement against the plaintiff (Shafi)," the suit stated, adding that the defamatory statements had caused a loss to Shafi's goodwill and adversely affected her.

"Moreover, it has caused mental agony and anguish to the plaintiff and for which [the] defendant is now liable to pay damages," it added.

Shafi's team had also sent a legal notice to Zafar for defamation in May.

Earlier, Zafar had submitted a Rs1bn damages suit against Shafi for accusing him of sexual harassment. The case is currently underway in a sessions courts in Lahore.

Zafar took legal action after Shafi accused him of harassing her "on more than two occasions".

https://www.dawn.com/news/1505901/meesha-shafi-files-rs2bn-damages-suit-against-ali-zafar

 

[Savak]

Lol at goodwill for Meesha Shafi

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: A detailed verdict of the Lahore High Court on a petition by singer Meesha Shafi against rejection of her complaint by the ombudsperson about allegations of sexual harassment against singer/actor Ali Zafar states that Ms Shafi failed to establish the relationship of employee with a production company that also signed an agreement with the suspect.

It said the agreement between Ms Shafi and the company was for the provision of services and its clause 6.11 was sufficient reflection of the intention of the parties not to create an employment relationship.

Meesha had moved a petition challenging rejection of her complaint by the ombudsperson and subsequently the governor wherein she accused Zafar of sexual harassment and sought action against him under Punjab Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2012.

“The petitioner invites this Court to hold that the purpose of the law is to include even an independent and self-employed woman to be included in the term employee. This will be a mockery of law. Not only that many of such women would be loathe to be conferred such a status and subject themselves to the complete control and sway of an employer,” ruled Justice Shahid Karim in a 34-page verdict, which dismissed the petition being incompetent and without merit.

The judge observed that if the petitioner sought to be treated as an employee, it must be in the entirety of the concept and not on the basis of a strained construction put on words, whimsically.

Justice Karim observed the petitioner neither claimed to be a worker of the production company nor did she admit to have entered into a contract of employment with it. Apart from this, he said, the complaint was not in respect of an employee of the company who could be summoned as an accused and punished.

“The accused under the law must be an employee of the organisation which operates the workplace and if it is not, then the complaint suffers from legal infirmity and must fall on barren ground,” the judge added.

The judge maintained that the petitioner was not an integral part of the firm and was merely engaged for the purpose of completing a specific task.

The judge left unanswered a question raised by Zafar’s counsel for being unnecessary. It was that the petitioner was, even by her own showing, not an employee at the time of making the complaint.

“This issue is not required to be answered for it does not arise as it has been held that the petitioner was not an employee anyway,” Justice Karim ruled referring to a quote by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts: “If it is not necessary to decide more, it is necessary not to decide more.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1511655/r...ployment-with-firm-couldnt-be-established-lhc

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: Singer and model Meesha Shafi on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan over the Lahore High Court's (LHC) dismissal of her petition challenging the decisions of Punjab governor and the provincial ombudsperson.

In her petition that includes Zafar, the woman ombudsperson, and Punjab governor as parties in the case, Meesha has requested the Supreme Court to declare the LHC's decision null and void.

Earlier this year, Punjab's ombudsperson for protection of women against harassment at workplace had set aside Meesha's complaint of sexual harassment against singer Ali Zafar. The provincial governor had upheld the ombudsperson's decision in July last year, citing no employee-employer relationship between the two musicians, as did LHC in its October 11, 2019, ruling.

Read more: LHC says no legal error in ombudsperson setting aside Meesha's complaint

LHC judge Shahid Karim had at the time remarked that there was no legal error in the ombudsperson's decision to set aside Meesha's complaint of sexual harassment.

Meesha's legal team, however, had argued that the ombudsperson, as well as the Punjab governor had illegally dismissed the complaint against Zafar, whom she had accused back in April 2018 of sexual harassment on more than one occasion. They had further argued that the definition of workplace in the Act — aimed to safeguard women — was not limited to women working day jobs.

The musician-model's appeal had been rejected by the LHC on the basis of not being presented at the appropriate forum.

It had earlier been set aside by the Punjab governor and the provincial ombudsperson on technical grounds as there was no employee-employer relationship and, therefore, the matter was said to not be in the jurisdiction of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010.

'Great damage to my reputation'
Separately, a day earlier, Meesha had appeared at the court to record her statement in the Rs1 billion defamation case filed against her by Zafar, saying the sexual harassment allegations were made as a last resort and not part of a larger plan or conspiracy.

In her statement, she had stressed that she never wished to go public with the allegations but had no choice when it became clear that she might have to work with Zafar despite having told the management. Meesha said she was very embarrassed and shocked.

Also read: Public allegation against Ali Zafar was last resort, not conspiracy

According to her, the first incident of sexual harassment happened at the residence of Zafar's father-in-law when the accused harassed her while greeting her.

She had also shown various WhatsApp messages during the hearing and clarified that she did not know any of the women who shared similar experiences of sexual harassment after she spoke up publicly.

Speaking outside the court, she had told media that Zafar filed the defamation case to intimidate and pressurise her. In a statement later, she said: "I bore the losses and [was] defamed and, as a woman, I suffered great damage to my reputation, as well as financial loss. It was detrimental to my mental health too."

https://www.geo.tv/latest/261189-me...hc-dismisses-petition-of-harassment-complaint

 

[Ryw]

So here we go it was long due that this movement was coming, since there are so many false reports coming through to target innocent men, #himtoo movement started in USA and its growing. Everyone has awareness about false reports Goodluck #Meesha with this

 

[MenInG]

Women's rights activists have condemned the government's recent decision to confer the Pride of Performance Award upon singer Ali Zafar in light of sexual harassment allegations against him. Meanwhile, the latter's legal counsel has termed the move "a smear campaign" and stated that there are no cases pending against the singer.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi, the activists called upon the state to reconsider this year's selection and defer the decision to a time when "all legal matters pertaining to allegations against the nominee have ceased".

Singer Meesha Shafi had accused Zafar of sexual harassment in April 2018. Zafar had denied the accusations. The two artists then became embroiled in legal proceedings.

"As we work towards a more equitable Pakistani society, providing justice for women facing sexual harassment and violence at the workplace must be a top priority.

"We believe that the current government, working on a mandate to incorporate equity, justice, and insaaf within all political institutions and political machinery, has a special duty towards the protection of Pakistani women and other marginalised communities."

The statement added that while each person was innocent until proven guilty, Zafar stood accused of multiple charges of harassment in cases that were currently ongoing. "Given the distinct accolade the award entails, we do not wish to see its legacy tarnished."

It went on to say that the timing of such a conferment was "deeply troubling and highly insensitive".

"It is troubling because of the impression it gives — that the Pakistani state inadvertently stands behind men accused of sexual misconduct, regardless of pending verdicts.

"It is insensitive as it moves to invalidate the testimonies of multiple women coming forward and promotes a culture where sexual misconduct is not taken seriously," it said.

Meanwhile, Zafar's legal counsel issued a statement, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, claiming that there was no case in court against the singer.

"It is most unfortunate that organisations fighting for women's rights are usurping other's rights and indulging in defamation and a smear campaign."

It added that an organisation that advocated the international rule of justice was misrepresenting facts in its letter.

Cases that are pending in the courts are by Zafar against Shafi, which include a case against those who participated in a "smear campaign" against the male singer, it said.

"The statement by the organisation falls under the same as it resonates the same narrative of damaging Zafar's reputation, especially during noteworthy achievements in his life like the recent Pride of Performance Award by the government of Pakistan, along with stating falsehoods of 'pending cases'.

"We urge the media and anyone reading such irresponsibly written statements to not fall prey to any such deception and defamatory narratives without checking facts."

https://www.dawn.com/news/1575475/w...rethink-ali-zafars-pride-of-performance-award

 

[MenInG]

[
LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cyber crime wing on Monday booked singer Meesha Shafi and eight others for their alleged involvement in a smear campaign against singer-actor Ali Zafar.

The FIR against the suspects was filed for a non-cognisable offence on the order of the FIA special court.

Ms Shafi, actor-host Iffat Omar, Leena Ghani, Fariha Ayub, Maham Javaid, Ali Gul, Haseemuz Zaman Khan, Humna Raza and Syed Faizan Raza have been booked under section 20 (1) of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and R/W 109-PPC.

“Prior permission from the special court is required by the investigation officer to arrest the suspects as it is a non-cognisable offence,” an official told Dawn.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

According to the FIR, the suspects were summoned multiple times by the FIA cyber crime wing to present their defence, failing which granted a cause of criminal proceedings against them.

Hearing of defamation suit adjourned

In November 2018, Ali Zafar had filed a complaint with FIA cyber crime wing, alleging that many social media accounts were posting “threats and defamatory material” against him. He provided details of some Twitter and Facebook accounts to support his claim.

Zafar had alleged that many fake accounts had been created to launch a smear campaign against him weeks before Meesha Shafi’s allegation of sexual harassment against him in April, 2018. He stated that most of these fake accounts were allegedly connected to Ms Shafi.

“A twitter account [MENTION=39131]neha[/MENTION]saigol1, which posted 3,000 defamatory tweets against me and my family only in one year, [was] created 50 days before Meesha’s allegations of sexual harassment,” the singer-actor told FIA with documentary ‘evidence’.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

Ms Shafi, also a singer, had appeared before the FIA with her team of lawyers in December 2019.

The FIR says Ms Shafi failed to produce any witness in favor of her allegation (of sexual harassment) against Ali Zafar.

According to the FIR, Leena Ghani was also summoned, but she did not turn up and sent her written statement which was not found satisfactory.

“She [Ms Ghani] was found involved in publicly posting defamatory content against the complainant on Twitter on April 19, 2018. Fariha Ayub and Maham Javaid were also summoned four times but they did not turn up to join the inquiry. Iffat Omar appeared, but did not record her statement with the request to give her time, but despite repeated requests failed to record her statement,” the FIR says.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

The FIR says Ali Gull, using his Twitter ID @Aligulpir, posted derogatory remarks against Zafar. “He was summoned thrice, but he deliberately did not turn up and submitted his statement to the FIA Karachi.”

However, it says Gull’s statement was found unsatisfactory and did not fulfill the merit of inquiry.

Similarly, Humna Raza submitted her statement which was also found “unsatisfactory”, the FIR says and adds Haseemuz Zaman was summoned four times but did not join the investigation.

Syed Faizan Raza recorded his statement, saying he made allegations against the complainant through tweets “based on public opinion”. However, his statement was found unsatisfactory.

A defamation suit filed by Mr Zafar against Ms Shafi has also been pending with a session’s court.

Meanwhile, the hearing of a defamation suit filed by singer Ali Zafar against fellow singer Meesha Shafi was adjourned on Monday due to unavailability of the presiding judge of a sessions court.

On the previous hearing, Additional District and Sessions Judge Yasar Hayat had summoned Ms Shafi and her witnesses for their cross-examination.

On Monday, the legal team of Zafar was present in the court while an office-clerk informed the court’s reader about unavailability of Barrister Saqib Jilani, the defendant’s counsel, before Oct 10.

The court staff, however, fixed Oct 3 as the next date of hearing of the suit.

In his suit, Zafar said Ms Shafi through a tweet on April 19, 2018, levelled baseless and unfounded allegations of sexual harassment against him, which resulted in tarnishing his image in public while his family had been facing agony and pain.

He said she failed to delete the tweet and issue an apology based on the tweet within 14 days of a legal notice served on her. He asked the court to issue a decree against Ms Shafi directing her to pay Rs1 billion as damages to him.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2020



https://www.dawn.com/news/1582156/meesha-eight-others-booked-over-vilification-of-ali-zafar

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is my authentic account, that was deactivated in the past due to other personal reasons. I reactivated it back in June.</p>— Humna Raza (@HumnaRaza) <a href="https://twitter.com/HumnaRaza/status/1314501414090137600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: A sessions court on Saturday sought a reply from singer-actor Ali Zafar on an application filed by fellow singer Meesha Shafi for staying the ongoing proceedings in a Rs1 billion defamation suit filed by the former against the latter till a decision in a case registered against the defendant and her witnesses for alleged violation of cybercrime laws.

The lawyers from both sides were present in the court as Additional District and Sessions Judge Yasar Hayat resumed hearing of the suit. However, Ms Shafi’s witnesses were not present as required by the court for recording their statements.

Advocate Saqib Jillani, the counsel for Ms Shafi, submitted the application for staying the proceedings in the case, saying the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at the behest of the plaintiff (Mr Zafar) lodged a frivolous FIR against his client and eight others, including her witnesses.

He said the FIR was a blatant attempt to silence the witnesses of the defendant at a critical stage of the trial when the defendant was producing her witnesses before the court.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

The counsel said two of the witnesses — Leena Ghani and Humna Raza — had personally experienced sexual harassment at the hands of the plaintiff. He contended that the witnesses felt further harassed since the FIA registered the FIR against them and attempts were being made to silence them.

Other witnesses of Ms Shafi booked in the FIR are actor-host Iffat Omar and Maham Javed.

Advocate Jillani in the application pointed out that one of the key witnesses of the defendant, Humna Raza, who had earlier made a statement that she was also harassed by the plaintiff recently issued an apology which had been procured through the harassment and pressure of the FIR lodged by FIA.

The counsel alleged that the FIR was an attempt not just to harass and silence the defendant and her witnesses, but also amounted to an abuse of the process of law that would prejudice the trial of the case.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

He pleaded that the defendant’s right to a fair trial under Article 10-A of the Constitution would be severely impaired if her witnesses were unable to narrate the truth freely and without pressure on account of harassment and intimidation by the FIA and the plaintiff.

He argued that in this climate of harassment and intimidation to the defendant’s witnesses the proceedings in the suit should be stayed till a decision on the FIR.

The judge handed over a copy of Ms Shafi’s application to the counsel for the plaintiff for a reply to be filed by Oct 13.

In his suit, Mr Zafar said Ms Shafi, through a tweet on April 19, 2018, levelled baseless and unfounded allegations of sexual harassment against him, which resulted in tarnishing his image in public, while his family had been facing agony and pain.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

He said Ms Shafi failed to delete the tweet or issue an apology within 14 days of a legal notice served on her. He asked the court to issue a decree against Ms Shafi with a direction to her to pay Rs1 billion as damages to him.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2020

 

[MenInG]

Musician, actor and philanthropist Ali Zafar has offered to pay singer Meesha Shafi’s travel expenses after she failed to appear several times in a defamation case filed against her by the musician

Ms Shafi is believed to be residing in Canada

 

[MenInG]

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has declared singer Meesha Shafi and eight others guilty of running a vilification campaign on social media against singer-actor Ali Zafar and asked the trial court to start its proceedings against them.

The FIA’s cybercrime Lahore wing on Tuesday submitted an interim challan before the court of a special judge central in the FIR registered on the complaint filed by Mr Zafar.

In the interim challan, the FIA said: “During the course of investigation so far Meera Shafi alias Meesha Shafi, Iffat Omar, Maham Javaid, Leena Ghani, Haseemus Zaman, Fariha Ayub, Syed Faizan Raza, Humna Raza and Ali Gul Pir have been found guilty in this case as per available oral and documentary evidences. However, the complainant recorded his statement in favour of Hamna Raza to the extent of accepting her apology, thus she is not required in the investigation furthermore.”

The FIA said Ms Shafi posted defamatory and false allegations of sexual harassment against Ali Zafar in April 19, 2018 but she failed to produce any witnesses before it in favour of her allegations. The other suspects also failed to provide evidence in favour of the direct allegations posted by them on social media. Resultantly, an FIR was registered on the court’s order in September last against them under section 20 (1) of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 and R/W 109-PPC.

In November 2018, Ali Zafar had filed a complaint with the FIA cyber-crime wing, alleging that many social media accounts were posting “threats and defamatory material” against him. He provided details of some Twitter and Facebook accounts to support his claim.

Mr Zafar, in his complaint, had attached the pictures Ms Shafi had uploaded on her social media accounts but ‘discretely deleted just before making the allegation’. He had also submitted a ‘threat message’ sent to his manager on Instagram in Feb 2018.

“A twitter account [MENTION=39131]neha[/MENTION]saigol1, which posted 3,000 defamatory tweets against me and my family only in one year, [was] created 50 days before Meesha’s allegations of sexual harassment,” the singer-actor told the FIA with documentary ‘evidence’.

The FIA said Ms Shafi had appeared before the FIA cyber-crime wing with her team of lawyers in December 2019, but she failed to produce any witness in favour of her allegations (of sexual harassment) against Mr Zafar.

Zafar’s defamation suit against Ms Shafi is also pending in a sessions’ court.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2020

 

[shaz619]

I remember when folk were blindly defending Meesha in this thread as though they were about to tie the knot, no need to bend over for the modern / fake feminist skum / propaganda, it’s skum like Shafi and others who’s own minuscule issues / agenda belittle the issues of those who go through hell on a daily basis and prevent them from being taken seriously. Anyhow glad this lads name has been cleared.

 

[Madplayer]

What Meesha claimed was impossible to prove. What proof can a woman possibly have in such a case? Thats why this subject is so tricky. What if she wasnt lying? And what if she was indeed lying and was believed by the court?

 

[saeedhk]

Actually, Ali Zafar was let off due to a loophole in Pakistan’s harassment law. The defense was able to prove that Ali and Meesha did not have any employer-employee relationship hence the case was thrown out!

The court did not acquit Ali Zafar; the case was simply inadmissible.

This is what I have read. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Actually, Ali Zafar was let off due to a loophole in Pakistan’s harassment law. The defense was able to prove that Ali and Meesha did not have any employer-employee relationship hence the case was thrown out!

The court did not acquit Ali Zafar; the case was simply inadmissible.

This is what I have read. Correct me if I am wrong.

Which law hasn't got loopholes in Pakistan? Name a single one which hasn't or actually even exists to be implemented either.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

What Meesha claimed was impossible to prove. What proof can a woman possibly have in such a case? Thats why this subject is so tricky. What if she wasnt lying? And what if she was indeed lying and was believed by the court?

But without proof how can you throw someone like Ali Zafar to the dogs? The guy is a a big star and by the look of him won't be short of female company. Can you be certain that Meesha's claims are true without any proof?

 

[Ryw]

Finally feminists funded propoganda failed, But sad thing is her career is completely unaffected but Ali suffered even being only accused . #himtoo #justice

 

[El Generico]

What Meesha claimed was impossible to prove. What proof can a woman possibly have in such a case? Thats why this subject is so tricky. What if she wasnt lying? And what if she was indeed lying and was believed by the court?

Yeah, I don't think its possible to have proof of something like this. Even if she was telling the truth, there would be no way to prove it. And obviously courts can't declare people guilty without proof. It's a complicated situation overall.

 

[El Generico]

But without proof how can you throw someone like Ali Zafar to the dogs? The guy is a a big star and by the look of him won't be short of female company. Can you be certain that Meesha's claims are true without any proof?

Not saying Ali Zafar is guilty but this point really doesn't stand. I am sure rich guys like Cosby and Weinstein weren't short on female company either.

 

[Savak]

What Meesha claimed was impossible to prove. What proof can a woman possibly have in such a case? Thats why this subject is so tricky. What if she wasnt lying? And what if she was indeed lying and was believed by the court?

Eye Witnesses to corroborate her story. Some of her close friends who apparently were present when the alleged harassment took place refused to support her.

Also FIA looked at the accounts where random women were making allegations against Ali Zafar, retweeting allegations against him and they were found to be false

 

[Savak]

Actually, Ali Zafar was let off due to a loophole in Pakistan’s harassment law. The defense was able to prove that Ali and Meesha did not have any employer-employee relationship hence the case was thrown out!

The court did not acquit Ali Zafar; the case was simply inadmissible.

This is what I have read. Correct me if I am wrong.

Meesha made the allegations, the onus was on her to bring the proof, she failed. Ali Zafar will not let his name get soiled forever, he lost many endorsements and music, film deals because of this episode hence he will explore all avenues to get his name cleared

 

[Ryw]

 

[Madplayer]

Eye Witnesses to corroborate her story. Some of her close friends who apparently were present when the alleged harassment took place refused to support her.

Also FIA looked at the accounts where random women were making allegations against Ali Zafar, retweeting allegations against him and they were found to be false

I'm playing the devil's advocate here so help me out. I understand that this case was proven to be false and false tweets are probably the only substantial proof of it. Otherwise its just lack of evidence from Meesha to prove her claims. Other women not supporting Meesha is a different problem. Many women claim that "harrassment" includes a deliberate and inappropriate touch which could go unnoticed by others but is felt by the victim. We hear women complain about it in local buses in the subcontinent everyday.

But imagine if it happened with someone behind closed doors with no one else present? How to prove that? The argument that i've heard from people is that the man is almost always a serial offender and other women who were harrassed would come up to corroborate the claims. I dont know if i am the only one but i see serious loopholes in such a scenario which could go against both the man or the woman depending upon who is willing to exploit them. Its a really troublesome problem.

 

[Madplayer]

But without proof how can you throw someone like Ali Zafar to the dogs? The guy is a a big star and by the look of him won't be short of female company. Can you be certain that Meesha's claims are true without any proof?

No i cant. I am not claiming she is telling the truth. I am just saying that this is a very complicated problem where "proof" is difficult to produce for the woman. Would you disagree with it?

 

[Madplayer]

Yeah, I don't think its possible to have proof of something like this. Even if she was telling the truth, there would be no way to prove it. And obviously courts can't declare people guilty without proof. It's a complicated situation overall.

Exactly. What if 4-5 women come up and cook up a story to get a man arrested? For example in one office where they dont like the boss. Its entirely possible. And on the other end of the things, the actual victims also might not be able to produce the proof.

 

[saeedhk]

Which law hasn't got loopholes in Pakistan? Name a single one which hasn't or actually even exists to be implemented either.

And your point is?

 

[Giannis]

I don't even think it's their domain to make that call.

 

[saeedhk]

View attachment 105378

This is irrelevant to Pakistan. Nobody would falsely claim that they have been harassed or sexually assaulted because there is a strong honour culture in this country. Raped women in Pakistan are stigmatised and socially boycotted. In some cases, raped women are killed by their family in order to preserve family honour.


The majority of rape cases in Pakistan are not reported to authorities because rape victims are seen as bringing shame to the family.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Over the years as I’ve matured, my stance on all of this has become more controversial.

 

[MenInG]

Activists and lawyers have hailed a recent move by Pakistan’s top court to hear on merit a high-profile sexual harassment case that launched the country’s #MeToo movement, caused a stir on social media, and polarised public opinion.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court agreed to deliberate on whether prominent singer and actress Meesha Shafi’s allegations against another singer and actor, Ali Zafar, fall under the country’s Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act of 2010.

In April 2018, at the height of the global #MeToo movement, Shafi had accused Zafar on social media of sexual harassment of a physical nature on multiple occasions.

The following day, Zafar responded to the allegations via his social media accounts, rejecting Shafi’s claims and vowing to take the case “through the courts of law”.

Shafi’s appeal was rejected earlier by the Lahore High Court on technical claims that her allegations did not fall under the workplace harassment law.

However, the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday means the case will now move forward.

“The Supreme Court will now hear the case in detail and decide which categories of persons are protected under the law,” a member of Shafi’s legal team at the Supreme Court told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity.

Last September, Shafi and eight other women were charged by police for criminal defamation after Zafar filed a suit against them.

Leena Ghani, a makeup artist and women’s rights activist, was one of the nine served the legal notice. On Wednesday, she filed a defamation case against Zafar in the provincial Sindh High Court.


Ghani’s case also details several instances where she alleges Zafar sexually harassed her since 2014. She is seeking 50 million rupees ($311,720) in damages.

“After living in fear and facing threats for over two years, I decided to come forward and fight,” Ghani told Al Jazeera.

She said that due to a lack of laws protecting women against sexual harassment, filing the defamation case was “the last option for me to fight back”.

“I have brought the details out in the open so people can’t say that women don’t come forward and talk,” she added.

Ghani also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, terming it “a huge success for women facing sexual harassment in Pakistan”.

Meanwhile, Zafar’s lawyer Muhammad Omar Tariq claimed on local media that when Ghani appeared before the court for defamation charge hearings last year, she insisted she “never alleged Zafar of sexually harassing her and was merely stating her opinion on social media”.

In response, Ghani said she “[appeared] in court as a character witness in Meesha’s case and therefore chose not to divulge details of my own experience of harassment”.

She added that she has received rape and death threats on social media from online trolls.

“If someone as famous as Meesha can be ridiculed and tortured for two years, what chances do women of less agency have?” she asked.

“When our cases are heard, it’s mostly men sitting on the bench [in the court]. When we go to courts, they are full of men. Men are not conditioned to understand verbal or physical harassment unless it’s a crime as heinous as rape.”

Last August, Zafar was awarded the Pride of Performance, the highest civilian award, by the Pakistani government. He said he was deeply honoured and “forever indebted to my fans and supporters” for receiving the award.

However, women’s rights activists in Pakistan slammed the government’s decision to honour a person accused of sexual harassment.

A joint statement from several rights organisations requested that government defer the decision given the pending cases against Zafar.

“The government must do more to lend its support to women so that all victims of sexual harassment can talk about their experiences and fight their cases,” said Ghani.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/15/pakistan-activists-hail-court-move-to-pursue-ali-zafar-case

 

[saeedhk]

Ali Zafar seems dodgy to me. Hopefully, truth will come out!

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Ali Zafar seems dodgy to me. Hopefully, truth will come out!

It doesn’t seem dodgy to you that Leena Ghani has only now spoken up about being sexually harassed by Ali Zafar?

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on on Monday ordered singer Ali Zafar to respond to a Rs500-million defamation case, filed by Pakistani makeup-artist and activist Leena Ghani, by February 15.

Ghani had earlier filed a claim for Rs500 million against Zafar at the SHC, appealing to the judiciary "to stop Mr Zafar and his army of trolls from harassing me further".

Ghani's lawyer, in his comments, requested the court to refrain Ali Zafar from posting defamatory tweets against her. If, however, the singer assured not to repeat such actions, she would withdraw the petition, her counsel added.

On the other hand, Zafar's lawyer claimed that they had not tweeted anything of objection and that they would respond in the court after reviewing Ghani's petition.

Zafar's counsel also requested the court to set a date in March to submit the reply but the SHC turned it down, saying his legal team had until February 15 to respond.

The court further warned that if a reply was not submitted in time, it would hear the petitioner's lawyer at the next hearing and issue a restraining order against Zafar.

Leena Ghani, a make-up artist, earlier filed a lawsuit claiming Rs500 million in damages from the renowned singer and artist for allegedly defaming her on social media and being "harassed, maligned and labelled as liars when we speak up against sexual harassment in our own country".

In a series of tweets, Ghani had underscored that "Pakistan is my home, as it is for millions of other women" and that it was unfair how she was being treated.

"They said go to the courts. So I did," she wrote on Twitter. "I have moved the court to stop Mr. Zafar and his army of trolls from harassing me further.

"Across the board female activists, journalists and lawyers are being targeted for being vocal and speaking up on women-based issues, especially the MeToo movement.”

Ghani said it was high time "we fight back and create legal precedence that protects all women against sexual harassment and defamation". She also thanked allies and supporters "for being so brave" and the "constant love and support

GEO

 

[MenInG]

judicial magistrate has summoned singer Meesha Shafi, issued arrest warrants of two and denied exemption from personal appearance to four suspects in a criminal case registered under the cyber crime law by actor-cum-singer Ali Zafar.

All the suspects had failed to attend the hearing before the magistrate on Tuesday.

Actor Iffat Omar, Faizan Raza, Haseemur Zaman, Fariha Ayub and Leena Ghani filed the applications seeking exemption from personal appearance. Almost all of them took similar ground of living and working in Karachi being permanent residents. They said it was difficult for them to appear before the court on each and every hearing.

Ms Omar sought one time exemption due to some personal exigency in Karachi.

However, in his written order issued on Wednesday, Magistrate Yousaf Abdul Rehman rejected the ground taken by the suspects and dismissed their applications for permanent exemption.

The magistrate also issued bailable arrest warrants for Oct 6 of Ms Omar and non-bailable arrest warrants of Ali Gul Pir, who remained unrepresented.

The magistrate summoned Ms Shafi and Maham Javed through summons for the next date of hearing. He observed that a revisional court suspended the orders to the extent of submission of surety bonds of the two women suspects. “So, keeping in view the above, absent accused ladies be summoned through summons,” the order said.

The FIA had lodged the FIR under section 20 of the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act and section 109 of Pakistan Penal Code against nine persons allegedly for running a smear campaign against the complainant on social media.

The agency in its challan (investigation report) said the investigation established that all the suspects including Shafi posted serious/direct allegations and defamatory /derogatory content on social media against the complainant.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2021

 

[Major]

This has always been a weird case. Never been able to take sides here as god knows what happened. Was there ever proof of anything that took place or not.

Maybe Shafi lied. But still makes you feel bad for the women who face harrasment but cant prove it due to no witnesses etc.

 

[saeedhk]

^ There is a video montage of AZ making women uncomfortable with his sexual remarks and comments on TV shows. AZ is a very suspicious character.

 

[Zeshan547]

^ There is a video montage of AZ making women uncomfortable with his sexual remarks and comments on TV shows. AZ is a very suspicious character.

Comments, really, that's all I hey could come up with after all. Ali Zafar ain't no Saint, nobody is specially in this field, you have to take bad with the good, It's just typical feminist crying when it suits their agenda, nothing more to see here.

 

[Ryw]

Shafi is a liar who tried to use Western women card like all the feminists do in Western countries,but it went horribly wrong as Govt s in sub continent are not biased towards one gender, they know how to shut fake feminism and false allegations, these tricks and tactics work only in Western world where majority of Govt are feminists

 

[saeedhk]

Comments, really, that's all I hey could come up with after all. Ali Zafar ain't no Saint, nobody is specially in this field, you have to take bad with the good, It's just typical feminist crying when it suits their agenda, nothing more to see here.

He really has a sleazy character and it is obvious he makes a lot of women uncomfortable with his comments. Not to forget, multiple women have come forward with claims of sexual misconduct against Zafar. This is a country where raped women refuse pursue the case due to izzat and ghairat.

 

[Stewie]

I am not saying Meesha Shafi is telling the truth. But Ali Zafar supposedly has a rep for being a womanizer.

I think it’s important to look at the court’s verdict here in the light of the law and it’s limitations. You are innocent till proven guilty and the onus of proving a crime was committed is on the accuser. Meesha was unable to provide good enough evidence that she was victimized, therefore, Ali Zafar is innocent. But let’s not jump to conclusions and start vilifying Meesha so quickly. We may not have the undeniable proof Ali Zafar is guilty. It’s important to understand what it means in the grander scheme of things.

 

[Ryw]

 

[MenInG]

Singer and actor Meesha Shahfi has rejected the reports that she is reaching a compromise or settlement with Ali Zafar.

She was talking to media outside a Lahore’s sessions court on Monday where she is facing defamation charges from singer Ali Zafar.

“I just faced cross-examination in the court,” she said. “These reports are totally baseless.”

The singer refused to talk about Ali Zafar and asked reporters to ask her questions about herself.

Meesha Shafi said that her husband has been her biggest support from “the day one.”

“Our society has never seen a case like this before,” she said adding that one always learns from their experiences.

What happened in the court
Monday was the prosecution’s day to cross-examine Meesha Shafi.

What’s your qualification, the lawyer questioned. I have done Bachelors in Fine Arts from NCA, Meesha replied.

Responding to a question, Meesha said that although she lives in Canada she doesn’t have Canadian citizenship.

Meesha said that she has come to Pakistan for live performances and recording shows.

To a question about tax returns, Meesha said that she pays tax in both Pakistan and Canada. I have paid few thousand dollars there, she said.

When asked if she entered into a contract with Pepsi under her freewill, she said, “Yes, a new contract is signed every year.”

Is it true that first Pepsi show was recorded on April 20, 2018? The lawyer asked. As far as I remember, yes, she replied.

The lawyer continued to ask if it’s true that she has said in her statement that she wanted to resolve the matter without making it public. Meesha confirmed that she had said that.

Meesha had tweeted out against Ali Zafar on April 19, 2018 a day before the recording of the show was scheduled. She had levelled allegation of harassment against Ali Zafar, who was supposed to appear as one of the judges along with Meesha.

During the cross-examination, she rejected the accusation that she did it to stop the recording of the show. “Yes, I tweeted it but my intention was to make myself safe.”

Why you brought it on media when you wanted to resolve it mutually, the lawyer asked. “It clearly wasn’t working that’s why I came on media,” she said.

“I tried my best that he realises the issue at hand but it did not happen,” she said.

Ali Zafar’s lawyer asked her to confirm that in her written statement submitted in August 2018 she gave the reference of Bollywood director Sajid Khan’s harassment case.

Meesha replied: I mentioned it as a case law, I don’t know him personally.

“According to media reports, Sajid Khan case was reported in October 2018, how did you know about this in August?” the lawyer asked.

“Because I can predict future,” Meesha quipped before requesting that this should not be made part of order sheet as she “was just joking.”

“Are we here to make jokes?” The lawyer asked.

Meesha said that she did not personally draft the statement that has the Sajid Khan case reference. “I’ll have to consult with my lawyer, if you want a detailed reply,” she added.

Last year, on December 16, the FIA filed a challan against eight people, including Shafi, for running a defamatory social media campaign against Zafar.

The agency said the accused persons were unable to provide witnesses to Shafi’s sexual harassment.

Zafar filed a case against Shafi and seven other people at the FIA’s cyber crime wing for running a vilification campaign against him on social media.

He provided Twitter account handles and screenshots as evidence of the campaign. The challan accused them of making sexual harassment allegations against Zafar on social media.

The eight people named in the case were booked on September 29 under Section 20 (Offences against the dignity of a natural person) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Section 109 (Punishment of abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

In April 2018, Shafi took to Twitter to accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on “more than one occasion.”

“This happened to me despite the fact that I am an empowered, accomplished woman who is known for speaking her mind,” she said. In response, Zafar filed a defamation suit against Shafi.

He rejected the allegations and wanted her to pay restitution for the damage to his reputation.

Samaa

 

[MenInG]

A district court in Lahore seized with a defamation case filed by singer Ali Zafar against Meesha Shafi and others has dismissed their application for “dispensation of attendance” for Friday, saying her reason to seek exemptions are not justifiable.

The court accepted the plea filed by accused Fariha Ayub, saying her application is justifiable and allowed her exemption. However, pleas filed by Syed Faizan Raza, Haseemuz Zaaman, Meera alias Meesha Shafi, Maham Javaid, Ali Gull Pir were not accepted and the court issued bailable arrest warrants against them.

“Accused persons namely Faizan Raza, Haseemuz Zaman, Meera, Maham Javaid, and Ali Gull be summoned through bailable warrant of arrest of Rs50,000 for the date fixed above. Accused lady Humna Raza be summoned through bailable warrants of arrest of Rs 50,000” for hearing Feb 2," said a short order by the judge.

"Today, the case was fixed for the argument on application 249-A CrPC (filed by Ali Gull Pir) on behalf of learned counsel for the complaint."

“However, the clerk of learned counsel for the complainant has requested for an adjournment for argument on the said petition. Now to come up for arguments upon application 249-A CrPC and application u/s205 CrpC on behalf of the complainant on the date fixed above," further stated the order.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233867...xemption-plea-issues-bailable-arrest-warrants

 

[MenInG]

A judicial magistrate has summoned singer Meesha Shafi and five others through bailable arrest warrants in a case registered under the cybercrime law by actor-cum-singer Ali Zafar on charges of running a malicious campaign against him on social media.

Six people nominated in the case, including Shafi, had filed applications for a one-time exemption from personal appearance in Thursday’s proceedings.

A written order issued by judicial magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk says: “The reason mentioned by the accused Fareeha Ayub in her application is justifiable, therefore, the same is hereby allowed.” He directed Ms Ayub to appear at the next hearing.

However, he dismissed the applications of others, saying the reasons mentioned in their applications were not justifiable and summoned them through bailable arrest warrants of Rs50,000 each on Feb 8. Another absent suspect, Hamna Raza, was also summoned through a bailable arrest warrant.

The magistrate allowed an adjournment request on behalf of Zafar’s counsel, and adjourned further hearing for arguments on an acquittal application of Ali Gul Pir and an application of Shafi for dispensation of her appearance and representation through a pleader. Shafi travelled to Canada on Jan 11 after appearing in three hearings.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2022

 

[MenInG]

A district court in Lahore has issued written order of the last hearing of the case pertaining to running of social media campaign against actor-cum-singer Ali Zafar, stating that singer Meesha Shafi had made “mockery” of the process of law and court.

In September 2020, the FIA's special court had registered an FIR against singer Meesha, model Iffat Omar and nine others on charges of running a social media campaign against Zafar.

Other than Meesha and Iffat, Leena Ghani, Fareeha Ayub, Maham Javed, Ali Gul Pir, Haseemuz Zaman Khan, Humna Raza and Syed Faizan Raza were nominated in the FIR.

Meesha had accused Zafar of sexual harassment on Twitter. Subsequently, Zafar reported the social media campaign against him to the FIA ​​ Cyber ​​Crime Wing and lodged a complaint.

Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk has issued a four-page detailed order of the last hearing of the case.

In its written order, the court stated that Meesha had made “mockery of the process of law and process of court”. It said that the singer was “playing hide and seek before the court”.

The court order said that the trial was being “badly hampered” due to the absence of accused Meesha and Maham, adding that their plea for exemption from appearance and appointment of a representative was being dismissed.

The court issued last warning to both Meesha and Maham and issued their arrest warrants besides rejecting Iffat’s request for exemption from appearance.

The court also dismissed Pir and Leena petitions on the disposal of case stating that they had not spoken in accordance with the law in their pleas.

 

[Stewie]

Made mockery of Lahore High Court?
Correction: it’s district court but they are all the same. Corrupt and incompetent!

Just the sentence itself above is a mockery! Hahaha..

 

[transparent opacity]

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by singer Meesha Shafi challenging the constitutionality of Section 20 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and quashing of the FIR by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the cybercrime law.

The petitioner said Section 20 was unconstitutional as it gagged free speech and overlapped with Section 499 and 500 of the Pakistan penal Code.

About the FIR by the FIA, the petition stated the case was registered in violation of Section 155 of CrPC and Rule (7) 5 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Investigation Rules 2018. It also termed the FIR mala fide.

In its ruling, the high court said Section 20 was not unconstitutional as it “is rather in conformity with Article 14 of the Constitution and promotes the right to dignity enshrined therein”. It further said Section 20 “does not violate Article 4 and 25” of the Constitution.

The ruling said, “The petitioners contend that Rule 7(5) of the Investigation Rules has not been followed while Respondent No.5 argues otherwise and both of them have produced case-law regarding the effect of its non-compliance. Even if it is assumed that the Petitioners’ stance is correct, they cannot get any benefit because there is nothing on the record which may suggest that they have been prejudiced.”

“There is also no evidence that the FIA authorities were dishonest or had malice against them. In the circumstances, any irregularity or defect in investigation stands cured under section 537 CrPC,” it added.

About the FIR being mala fide, the court said whether a particular act is mala fide requires factual inquiry which cannot be undertaken by this Court in constitutional jurisdiction. “The Petitioners would, however, be at liberty to raise this issue before the trial court,” it added.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2347281/meeshas-plea-seeking-quashment-of-fir-dismissed

 

[MenInG]

The Supreme Court on Wednesday admitted a petition filed by singer Meesha Shafi against Section 20 of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) as it ordered officials concerned to stay criminal proceedings against her till the next hearing.

The top court said that civil proceedings against the singer regarding defamation would continue, however. The bench issued notices to the attorney general and Punjab advocate general for assistance and postponed the proceedings indefinitely.

During the hearing, Justice Qazi Faez Isa said that one high court – the Islamabad High Court – declared Section 20 void whereas another, the Lahore High Court, kept it intact. “What would be the constitutional status of two [high court] rulings that contradict each other,” he questioned. “Can a defamation case be filed under the criminal law,” he further asked.

Meesha’s lawyer said that defamation was a non-criminal offence and a fine is usually imposed in case it’s proved.

Justice Isa further asked whether Section 20 was in contrast to Article 19 of the Constitution.”Why is the freedom to express being turned into a criminal act,” Justice Isa asked.

The judge added whether there will be a sentence for “calling a thief a thief”. “If someone calls someone a thief or a murderer, will they be punished for just saying that? Justice Isa asked.

“Nowadays, you will only hear ‘thieves, thieves’ on every TV channel”, the judge said, adding that fingers were also being pointed at judges, why?

All of these campaigns attract defamatory proceedings, Zafar’s lawyer added.

Justice Isa added that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) turned blind eye to the content of proscribed outfits on social media but it would swing into action quickly on a single tweet. “In Pakistan, you could say anything about anybody and no one will be bothered to take action,” the judge added.

Justice Isa said during military dictator Ziaul Haq’s rule, women were convicted under the Qazf ordinance. He, however, added Islam granted complete protection to women.

Ali Zafar’s lawyer said a campaign was started on social media to defame his client. Justice Isa said he knew and understood what was defamatory on social media and adjourned the hearing.

Express Tribune

 

[Ryw]

Meesha Shafi and Amber Heared are liars, end of this fake drama. Face the court Meesha Lies ruin lives. #LiesRuinLives